Rapid City Regional to St. Louis Lambert International RAP → STL
653 nautical miles (751 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 115°, about 107° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 52 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 49-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:27 am CDT (09:27 UTC), after sunset at the destination. For planning, not a briefing: the legal preflight briefing comes from Flight Service (1-800-WX-BRIEF) or the FAA's own tools. Airlines fly this pair: 4 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.
The route the straight line, the warnings crossed, restrictions, pilot reports and the airports along the way · click a mark for its words
Green, blue, red and purple airport dots are the flying conditions reported there now (VFR, marginal VFR, IFR, low IFR); grey means no report. Red areas are SIGMETs, orange areas AIRMETs, hatched red areas temporary flight restrictions. Map tiles: OpenFreeMap, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Warnings the route crosses SIGMETs and AIRMETs whose area the line passes through or comes within 25 nm of
- SIGMET 8C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 32,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 12:55 am MDT (06:55 UTC). Near the route, at the departure end.
as issued
WSUS32 KKCI 120455 MKCC WST 120455 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 8C VALID UNTIL 0655Z NE SD WY FROM 50WNW RAP-20SSW RAP-60NW BFF-40ENE DDY-50WNW RAP DMSHG AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL320.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the first 158 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Near the route, at the departure end.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Near the route, at the departure end.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 208 to 564 nm out.
A SIGMET warns of weather hazardous to all aircraft; an AIRMET of weather that matters to small aircraft and to flying without instruments. "From 60 to 180 nm out" is measured along the route from RAP.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
Not fetched just now.
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 02:00–09:00 UTC · at 120 knots true airspeed
The eastbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: odd thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 7 forecast points nearest it (RAP, PIR, ONL, OMA, DSM, COU, STL). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 230° at 35 kt | −12 kt | 132 kt | 4 h 57 min | 5:32 am CDT (10:32 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 220° at 27 kt | −6 kt | 17 °C | 126 kt | 5 h 11 min | 5:46 am CDT (10:46 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | −7 kt | 14 °C | 127 kt | 5 h 09 min | 5:44 am CDT (10:44 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 230° at 21 kt | −8 kt | 11 °C | 128 kt | 5 h 06 min | 5:41 am CDT (10:41 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 230° at 20 kt | −8 kt | 7 °C | 128 kt | 5 h 06 min | 5:41 am CDT (10:41 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 20 kt | −9 kt | 2 °C | 129 kt | 5 h 04 min | 5:39 am CDT (10:39 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 240° at 22 kt | −11 kt | -2 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 59 min | 5:34 am CDT (10:34 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 240° at 23 kt | −13 kt | -7 °C | 133 kt | 4 h 55 min | 5:30 am CDT (10:30 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 24 kt | −14 kt | -8 °C | 134 kt | 4 h 52 min | 5:27 am CDT (10:27 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 29 kt | −20 kt | -20 °C | 140 kt | 4 h 40 min | 5:15 am CDT (10:15 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 40 kt | −29 kt | -34 °C | 149 kt | 4 h 23 min | 4:58 am CDT (09:58 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 51 kt | −43 kt | -40 °C | 163 kt | 4 h | 4:35 am CDT (09:35 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 56 kt | −49 kt | -49 °C | 169 kt | 3 h 52 min | 4:27 am CDT (09:27 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 00:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 06:00 UTC for use 02:00 to 09:00 UTC; temperatures above 24,000 ft are below zero. Heights are above sea level; a height is left out when the forecast has no wind for it over most of the line (the ground is higher). Ground speed is the airspeed less the headwind; the time en route is for the straight line and ignores climb, descent and routing around weather.
The forecast points as issued
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAP | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 180/23 12° | 200/38 13° | 210/38 6° | 220/28 -10° | 230/34 -21° | 230/37 -36° | 250/52 -38° | 250/59 -46° | |
| PIR | used from 99 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 170/22 19° | 190/25 13° | 210/32 6° | 240/23 -9° | 250/32 -21° | 250/38 -36° | 260/44 -40° | 260/52 -47° | |
| ONL | used from 148 nm out; 40 nm from the line | 210/31 20° | 230/27 13° | 230/18 7° | 220/19 -8° | 240/26 -20° | 250/44 -35° | 270/52 -39° | 260/57 -47° | |
| OMA | used from 297 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 220/47 | 240/33 19° | 250/18 11° | 230/17 6° | 260/29 -8° | 250/33 -19° | 250/51 -33° | 260/61 -40° | 270/62 -49° |
| DSM | used from 396 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 230/40 | 250/33 17° | 250/18 12° | 240/17 5° | 260/28 -8° | 270/34 -19° | 260/41 -33° | 260/55 -41° | 270/62 -51° |
| COU | used from 495 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 230/31 | 230/30 15° | 260/16 11° | 270/14 6° | 260/24 -6° | 270/27 -18° | 270/37 -32° | 280/49 -41° | 290/56 -51° |
| STL | used from 594 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 250/24 | 250/24 16° | 260/23 9° | 270/16 6° | 260/25 -6° | 270/29 -19° | 290/34 -33° | 290/48 -41° | 290/54 -51° |
The weather now: both ends and the airports along the way public airports with a weather report within 25 nm of the line, one for each stretch
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAP Rapid City, SD | departure | no report just now | 3,203 ft | ||||
| SUO Rosebud, SD | 109 nm out, 3 nm west of the line | no report just now | 2,724 ft | ||||
| RBE Bassett, NE | 178 nm out, 13 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 2,349 ft | ||||
| ONL O'Neill, NE | 218 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 2,033 ft | ||||
| OFK Norfolk, NE | 277 nm out, 1 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 1,572 ft | ||||
| OMA Omaha, NE | 356 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 984 ft | ||||
| LWD Lamoni, IA | 455 nm out, 9 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,130 ft | ||||
| TRX Trenton, MO | 485 nm out, 12 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 757 ft | ||||
| IRK Kirksville, MO | 524 nm out, 14 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 966 ft | ||||
| FYG Washington, MO | 633 nm out, 24 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 487 ft | ||||
| STL St Louis, MO | destination | no report just now | 617 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,203 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At STL when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:27 am CDT (09:27 UTC)
STL has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/7634 CENTRALIA, MO, Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 24 nm from the route, 574 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZKC
Daylight
Sunset at RAP 6:13 pm MDT (00:13 UTC), at STL 6:27 pm CDT (23:27 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at STL is before sunrise there (7:07 am CDT (12:07 UTC)).
Each restriction opens the FAA's own page with the exact area, heights and times. Ordinary notices to air missions (closed runways, lights out) are not shown: the FAA's notice search is not open to sites like this one at this time.
Radar and forecast charts for the regions crossed government pictures, the latest each time the page loads
Sources: the Aviation Weather Center's data service (SIGMETs, AIRMETs, graphical AIRMETs, pilot reports, winds and temperatures aloft, observations and terminal forecasts), the National Weather Service radar, the Weather Prediction Center's charts, the FAA's temporary flight restriction list and shapes, and the FAA's airport file for the positions, elevations and magnetic variation. Fetched when the page is viewed and kept a few minutes. Each leg is the straight line between its two airports; airways, terrain and airspace are not considered. The airports in detail: Rapid City Regional, St. Louis Lambert International.